Triumph Eastern review...sailed 8/25...long..

[HookedOnCruisin'2]

Just got back from our cruise and had a wonderful time!!! Perfect weather and made some new friends.

We flew down via AirTran into Miami, were at the cruiseport around 11:00 and eating lunch well before 12:30. Lunch was yummy and we went down to our cabin a little early to see if we could at least put our stuff in there. The cabin was ready so we dropped our carryons and went back up top. Muster was painless and we made it back to set sail from one of those 'secret' balconies everyone talks about. We were escorted out by the Coast Guard (sporting 50mm guns) and an immigration boat of some kind.

Dinner was great though one of the couples at our table frankly made us not want to go back to the dining room. Most behaviors and attitudes we can ignore but the woman was downright obnoxious. We considered asking for a different table but in the end were glad we didn't because that couple never came back and we were joined by another couple. Both of those couples are really nice and we had a great remainder of the week at dinner. We did get new waiters (Park and Edy) the second night and apparently things were hectic (we'd skipped that night). I guess the woman ran our original one off.

Anyway, I enjoyed almost everything I ate. There was a good variety and I had the chocolate melting cake every night. I wish I knew how they make that stuff! I did get other desserts as well. DH wasn't thrilled about it but hey, it was vacation!

Sunday - Half Moon Cay is CCL & HAL's private area/island. It is beautiful! Clean, pristine..... Carnival Corp has built it up for the line's use on a small portion but the rest has been left natural and is a bird sanctuary. We just rented snorkel gear ($32 I think) and were disappointed in the "snorkel area" at first but then found some really good snorkeling out by the rocks at the far end of the snorkeling area. I got pretty burned. We met up with out CC roll call group....fun!

Monday was a sea day. We enjoyed sleeping in, chilled out, enjoyed some of the activities, had some foo foo drinks and went back to our dinner table for an enjoyable evening before the show. After this night we ended up spending most of the rest of the cruise with one of the couples we met at our dinner table.... We've never really been socializers in situations like a cruise but now have new friends!

Tuesday - We went scuba diving in St. Thomas at Coki Beach and took the tram (skyride) up the mountain. Diving was great and afterward we found a terrific snorkel area at the far end of the beach. We saw, in addition to the various colorful fish, about 10 small octopi, an eel and some other interesting things. Though the tram was okay and the bird show was cool, it wasn’t worth $36. I lost my underwater camera during the dive because some guy knocked my regulator out of my mouth about 25 feet down and it slipped off my arm while I was trying to find my regulator. I'm not a huge shopper but looked around some at Havensight and bought a couple of things. That night we had another nice dinner with Don/Charisse and Alex/Milly then went to the show.

Wednesday - We went horseback riding at El Yunque Rainforest with Alex and Milly (and about 35 other people). This was a great excursion and the rainforest was cool. DH hadn't ridden in 30 years and was a bit funny about it at first but had a good time too. It was fun! Afterward we had some time so the 4 of us went to Olde San Juan. The boys spent most of that time in a couple of bars while we shopped. Got another good deal on a Dooney!

Thursday - Grand Turk was an interesting mix. They have built a fabulous port there. Margaritaville was a huge party and they had a bunch of shops as well as a really nice pool. It was very expensive here and the dancing contest at M'ville qot quite lewd so we left.

We took a cab to Cockburn Town which is the Turks and Caicos capital I think. It was quite destitute and there wasn't much there yet. They only began developing cruise facilities in the last couple of years. However, we did a snorkel excursion here and frankly it had the most fabulous reef we'd ever seen since Hawaii in '93. We'd always liked snorkeling/diving and the reefs but because GT had not been overrun by tourists messing with the reefs for so many years, it was alive. In addition to the numerous varieties of colorful fish there were many types and colors of corals, plants, etc. There were barracuda, huge grouper, a couple of rays and though they didn't show up that day, a couple of young nurse sharks. We'd love to go back and dive here!

We had another fun afternoon/evening with Alex and Milly, our little group of 6 had a nice dinner and the show was good.

Our 2nd sea day was relaxing but I got burned a little again... I think all 4 of us did. After yet another enjoyable dinner and warm chocolate melting cake we went to the standing room only show. It was predominantly cruise passengers singing and emulating famous entertainers. Most were very good, a couple not so good, and Paul Santley (the CD) played Dolly Parton....quite hilarious as he was all week...

Our stateroom was always clean, the bed fresh and the bathroom cleaned thoroughly daily. We loved our daily towel animals. Arleigh and Ari were our stewards in room 2434 and are very nice.

We were generally exhausted and sleeping by the time that the adult shows happened. The one we did stay up for was pretty offensive. I'm not a prude but that particular comedian was a bit over the top.

There were some negatives to the trip but nothing that would keep me from cruising or from the Triumph. I did notice the sewer type smell a couple of times near the Rome theater, once on the 7th level and a couple of times on the 2nd. A couple of the outlying restrooms could have used more attention. These were ones that would get heavy use (by Rome theater & by midship lido pool). Even though I did see Carnival personnel making little kids get out of the hot tubs it was not consistent. It's amazing the people that either refuse to follow or think they're above the rules. It's also amazing that there are so many little kids whose parents let them run unattended. Can't blame the cruiseline for that though. We got in a hot tub once and enjoyed it but didn't get in the pools because they were full of kids. The buffet lines were generally a zoo in the afternoon so we usually ate at either the pizza place or Coney Island Grille. Arnel at the CIGrille was great.... always smiling and friendly. Their sandwiches were great as well. The guy at the pizza place most of the time wasn't really rude or anything but he didn't seem to want to be there.. However, even though I'm not really a pizza person, I really enjoyed the pizza there. It's not greasy and though the crust is thick, it's light and airy, not heavy and doughy.

One thing that we'd not experienced before happened at the Captain's reception. The Captain greeted everyone at the door with a hello and a handshake!

Debarkation was easy. We self debarked as we were spending the day with Alex, Milly and their family. One man lied to the CCl employees and claimed that he only needed a pair of shorts, a pair of underwear and a shirt for a week cruise. He was trying to get off first with the self debarkers without taking his luggage. Last I saw him they would not take him, his SO or child to their luggage and were making them stand off to one side. I hope they made him wait until the very last to get off and sent him back to the ship. I can't stand people like that (those that think they're better than the rest of us and don't need to follow rules).

Hope I covered everything. We're planning another cruise with our new friends.

[ldock]

Hi, Enjoyed your review!

I had a few questions, re snorkling, In HMC did it end up being worth it to snorkle there, once u found a decent spot, or would you skip snorkeling in this port next time?

and were disappointed in the "snorkel area" at first but then found some really good snorkeling out by the rocks at the far end of the snorkeling area.

 

Tuesday - We went scuba diving in St. Thomas at Coki Beach and took the tram (skyride) up the mountain. Diving was great and afterward we found a terrific snorkel area at the far end of the beach. We saw' date=' in addition to the various colorful fish, about 10 small octopi, an eel and some other interesting things. [/font']

 

Thursday - Grand Turk

 

However, we did a snorkel excursion here and frankly it had the most fabulous reef we'd ever seen since Hawaii in '93. In addition to the numerous varieties of colorful fish there were many types and colors of corals, plants, etc. There were barracuda, huge grouper, a couple of rays and though they didn't show up that day, a couple of young nurse sharks.

.

Also, did you book your diving excursion ahead of time, for St thomas, and Grand turk? were thinking that we want decide as we are on cruise what we want to do at each port. In Grand turk, is it easy to find some local tourist to take you out, or do you need to book in advance?

Any other snorkeling advice? we would love to go diving, expecially in Grand turk, but we have only dived once before (in June) and we dont have our certification, so it would be unlikely.

[bearhug75]

Just got back from our cruise and had a wonderful time!!! Perfect weather and made some new friends.

 

We flew down via AirTran into Miami' date=' were at the cruiseport around 11:00 and eating lunch well before 12:30. Lunch was yummy and we went down to our cabin a little early to see if we could at least put our stuff in there. The cabin was ready so we dropped our carryons and went back up top. Muster was painless and we made it back to set sail from one of those 'secret' balconies everyone talks about. We were escorted out by the Coast Guard (sporting 50mm guns) and an immigration boat of some kind.[/size']

 

Dinner was great though one of the couples at our table frankly made us not want to go back to the dining room. Most behaviors and attitudes we can ignore but the woman was downright obnoxious. We considered asking for a different table but in the end were glad we didn't because that couple never came back and we were joined by another couple. Both of those couples are really nice and we had a great remainder of the week at dinner. We did get new waiters (Park and Edy) the second night and apparently things were hectic (we'd skipped that night). I guess the woman ran our original one off.

 

Anyway, I enjoyed almost everything I ate. There was a good variety and I had the chocolate melting cake every night. I wish I knew how they make that stuff! I did get other desserts as well. DH wasn't thrilled about it but hey, it was vacation!

 

Sunday - Half Moon Cay is CCL & HAL's private area/island. It is beautiful! Clean, pristine..... Carnival Corp has built it up for the line's use on a small portion but the rest has been left natural and is a bird sanctuary. We just rented snorkel gear ($32 I think) and were disappointed in the "snorkel area" at first but then found some really good snorkeling out by the rocks at the far end of the snorkeling area. I got pretty burned. We met up with out CC roll call group....fun!

 

Monday was a sea day. We enjoyed sleeping in, chilled out, enjoyed some of the activities, had some foo foo drinks and went back to our dinner table for an enjoyable evening before the show. After this night we ended up spending most of the rest of the cruise with one of the couples we met at our dinner table.... We've never really been socializers in situations like a cruise but now have new friends!

 

Tuesday - We went scuba diving in St. Thomas at Coki Beach and took the tram (skyride) up the mountain. Diving was great and afterward we found a terrific snorkel area at the far end of the beach. We saw, in addition to the various colorful fish, about 10 small octopi, an eel and some other interesting things. Though the tram was okay and the bird show was cool, it wasn’t worth $36. I lost my underwater camera during the dive because some guy knocked my regulator out of my mouth about 25 feet down and it slipped off my arm while I was trying to find my regulator. I'm not a huge shopper but looked around some at Havensight and bought a couple of things. That night we had another nice dinner with Don/Charisse and Alex/Milly then went to the show.

 

Wednesday - We went horseback riding at El Yunque Rainforest with Alex and Milly (and about 35 other people). This was a great excursion and the rainforest was cool. DH hadn't ridden in 30 years and was a bit funny about it at first but had a good time too. It was fun! Afterward we had some time so the 4 of us went to Olde San Juan. The boys spent most of that time in a couple of bars while we shopped. Got another good deal on a Dooney!

 

Thursday - Grand Turk was an interesting mix. They have built a fabulous port there. Margaritaville was a huge party and they had a bunch of shops as well as a really nice pool. It was very expensive here and the dancing contest at M'ville qot quite lewd so we left.

 

 

We took a cab to Cockburn Town which is the Turks and Caicos capital I think. It was quite destitute and there wasn't much there yet. They only began developing cruise facilities in the last couple of years. However, we did a snorkel excursion here and frankly it had the most fabulous reef we'd ever seen since Hawaii in '93. We'd always liked snorkeling/diving and the reefs but because GT had not been overrun by tourists messing with the reefs for so many years, it was alive. In addition to the numerous varieties of colorful fish there were many types and colors of corals, plants, etc. There were barracuda, huge grouper, a couple of rays and though they didn't show up that day, a couple of young nurse sharks. We'd love to go back and dive here!

 

We had another fun afternoon/evening with Alex and Milly, our little group of 6 had a nice dinner and the show was good.

 

Our 2nd sea day was relaxing but I got burned a little again... I think all 4 of us did. After yet another enjoyable dinner and warm chocolate melting cake we went to the standing room only show. It was predominantly cruise passengers singing and emulating famous entertainers. Most were very good, a couple not so good, and Paul Santley (the CD) played Dolly Parton....quite hilarious as he was all week...

 

Our stateroom was always clean, the bed fresh and the bathroom cleaned thoroughly daily. We loved our daily towel animals. Arleigh and Ari were our stewards in room 2434 and are very nice.

 

We were generally exhausted and sleeping by the time that the adult shows happened. The one we did stay up for was pretty offensive. I'm not a prude but that particular comedian was a bit over the top.

 

There were some negatives to the trip but nothing that would keep me from cruising or from the Triumph. I did notice the sewer type smell a couple of times near the Rome theater, once on the 7th level and a couple of times on the 2nd. A couple of the outlying restrooms could have used more attention. These were ones that would get heavy use (by Rome theater & by midship lido pool). Even though I did see Carnival personnel making little kids get out of the hot tubs it was not consistent. It's amazing the people that either refuse to follow or think they're above the rules. It's also amazing that there are so many little kids whose parents let them run unattended. Can't blame the cruiseline for that though. We got in a hot tub once and enjoyed it but didn't get in the pools because they were full of kids. The buffet lines were generally a zoo in the afternoon so we usually ate at either the pizza place or Coney Island Grille. Arnel at the CIGrille was great.... always smiling and friendly. Their sandwiches were great as well. The guy at the pizza place most of the time wasn't really rude or anything but he didn't seem to want to be there.. However, even though I'm not really a pizza person, I really enjoyed the pizza there. It's not greasy and though the crust is thick, it's light and airy, not heavy and doughy.

 

One thing that we'd not experienced before happened at the Captain's reception. The Captain greeted everyone at the door with a hello and a handshake!

 

Debarkation was easy. We self debarked as we were spending the day with Alex, Milly and their family. One man lied to the CCl employees and claimed that he only needed a pair of shorts, a pair of underwear and a shirt for a week cruise. He was trying to get off first with the self debarkers without taking his luggage. Last I saw him they would not take him, his SO or child to their luggage and were making them stand off to one side. I hope they made him wait until the very last to get off and sent him back to the ship. I can't stand people like that (those that think they're better than the rest of us and don't need to follow rules).

 

Hope I covered everything. We're planning another cruise with our new friends.

 

I am so happy to read your review. There is another review of Triumph and that cruiser had not much to say that was positive. My wife and I are going on cruise #3 (#2 with Carnival) in Oct. You sound like you had a fantastic time and now I can't wait for the chocolate cake!!!! Thanks for sharing your experience!!

[HookedOnCruisin'2]

Hi, Enjoyed your review!

I had a few questions, re snorkling, In HMC did it end up being worth it to snorkle there, once u found a decent spot, or would you skip snorkeling in this port next time?

 

We didn't book a snorkeling excursion per se at HMC, we just rented the snorkel equipment and went to the area designated on the map as the snorkeling area (it is outside of the swim/beach area). We were disappointed at first but once we discovered that there was much to see over by the rocks near where the tenders come in we had a great time. It was only $32 or so to rent the snorkel equipment for both of us so it was worth it. I didn't talk to anyone that did the actual snorkel excursions so I don't know how those are.

 

Also, did you book your diving excursion ahead of time, for St thomas, and Grand turk? were thinking that we want decide as we are on cruise what we want to do at each port. In Grand turk, is it easy to find some local tourist to take you out, or do you need to book in advance?

Any other snorkeling advice? we would love to go diving, expecially in Grand turk, but we have only dived once before (in June) and we dont have our certification, so it would be unlikely.

 

We booked the dive at StT and snorkel at GT via the CCL website before we left . We normally book off the ship but with this being cane season I wanted that financial safety net. Both were run by professional, reputable dive shops. We took a taxi to Cockburn Town in GT after our excursion. There's not much there but we did pass a couple of dive shops on the way to the drop off point. The GT forum may have more info. on them if you don't want to book on the ship. It was $10 pp each way and the taxi's were easy to get. Some dive shops will pick you up, negating that expense. I wouldn't worry about not being PADI certified. The all have resort courses (discover scuba). We live in Ohio and there's not really anywhere here to dive except rock quarries so we're not certified either. We just keep doing the resort courses.

Another option for GT is some kind of dune buggy or gocart type excursion. One of the couples we met and talked to a lot did that with their kids and had a blast. They were muddy as all getout when they got back. If we ever get back there we're going to try to do that and scuba.

[HookedOnCruisin'2]

I am so happy to read your review. There is another review of Triumph and that cruiser had not much to say that was positive. My wife and I are going on cruise #3 (#2 with Carnival) in Oct. You sound like you had a fantastic time and now I can't wait for the chocolate cake!!!! Thanks for sharing your experience!!

 

Any vacation is what you make of it I think and not everyone has the same expectations. I read the negative and positive reviews before my trip. There are going to be issues on any vacation whether it be land based or a cruise. I'll take a cruise any day! My December cruise is supposed to go to Costa Maya...... I'm sure that will be changed due to Dean. Will that ruin the cruise? Though I'd looked forward to it.....nope.

 

Have fun.....!

[GatorGambit]

Great review! It sounds like you really had a great time. Can't wait to go this Saturday!

[rebeljohn]

Enjoyed reading your review.............glad to hear snorkeling is great in GT.......we'll be there in Nov.

Thanks for posting your review..............

[teanbean16]

Thanks for the review!!!!!:) :) :)

[HookedOnCruisin'2]

You would think I would have remembered this earlier. I guess it just wasn't enough to make me that aggravated. Anyway, I think the most annoying thing I found on the Triumph was the photo area. It was incredibly crowded. Most of the time, people were considerate and didn't congregate in the only place to walk but there were times when they did.... especially on formal nights. The photo area is is right at the grand staircases which is a nice place to get a quick picture. However, there were large groups of people wanting to take group pictures there and it really made things a real mess. That's not a Carnival thing, it's a human not caring about others thing...

[HookedOnCruisin'2]

It's funny how a negative review will receive 10 times the number of hits than a mostly positive one.

[ldock]

I am so happy to read your review. There is another review of Triumph and that cruiser had not much to say that was positive. My wife and I are going on cruise #3 (#2 with Carnival) in Oct. You sound like you had a fantastic time and now I can't wait for the chocolate cake!!!! Thanks for sharing your experience!!

Hey bearhug havent seen you in roll call in awhile, thought you left us??

[ldock]

We booked the dive at StT and snorkel at GT via the CCL website before we left . We normally book off the ship but with this being cane season I wanted that financial safety net. Both were run by professional' date=' reputable dive shops. We took a taxi to Cockburn Town in GT after our excursion. There's not much there but we did pass a couple of dive shops on the way to the drop off point. The GT forum may have more info. on them if you don't want to book on the ship. It was $10 pp each way and the taxi's were easy to get. Some dive shops will pick you up, negating that expense. I wouldn't worry about not being PADI certified. The all have resort courses (discover scuba). We live in Ohio and there's not really anywhere here to dive except rock quarries so we're not certified either. We just keep doing the resort courses.[/color']

 

thanks for the info, great review!

[bearhug75]

Hey bearhug havent seen you in roll call in awhile, thought you left us??

 

I could never leave!!! Just been very busy. I am trying not to think about the next 37 days and some change!!!!! Hope you're doing well!

[CarribbeanTina271]

Thanks for the awesome review!! Makes me even more excited for my cruise on the Truimph on Oct 6!!!! Can't wait!! :D

Tina

[GettingOutOfIndy]

It's funny how a negative review will receive 10 times the number of hits than a mostly positive one.

 

It's because there's a chunk of responses in mine where people were rude and name calling...I, as well as a few others, felt the need to respond.

 

It's nothing against your review, which I appreciated, by the way. It's always good to hear another's perspective!

 

I'm glad you had a nice time.

[HookedOnCruisin'2]

It's because there's a chunk of responses in mine where people were rude and name calling...I, as well as a few others, felt the need to respond.

 

It's nothing against your review, which I appreciated, by the way. It's always good to hear another's perspective!

 

I'm glad you had a nice time.

 

It's not even just this instance... It seems to be the norm. lol. I guess it's just like the news, people respond more to the negative so you see more of it.... I'm not saying yours was totally negative.... I just think one of the things that draws attention is the thumbs down sign.... I hope your next cruise will work out better for you...

[CalgonMoment]

 

Tuesday - We went scuba diving in St. Thomas at Coki Beach and took the tram (skyride) up the mountain. Diving was great and afterward we found a terrific snorkel area at the far end of the beach.

 

Wednesday - We went horseback riding at El Yunque Rainforest with Alex and Milly (and about 35 other people). This was a great excursion and the rainforest was cool. DH hadn't ridden in 30 years and was a bit funny about it at first but had a good time too. It was fun! Afterward we had some time so the 4 of us went to Olde San Juan. .

 

Thank you for such a thorough review. When you went diving in St. Thomas, was this the Carnival "Discover Scuba" Excursion? Was it through Coki Beach Dive Shop? Was it crowded?

 

The same questions regarding the horseback ride... Was it crowded with that many people? It is tempting to look for my own horseback riding because I want to spend the time riding, not waiting for everyone to be quiet and follow the leader.

 

Glad to hear that you enjoyed your cruise and bummer on your camera.

 

Thanks again.

[Texalana]

Thank you for your thorough review! :) I'm glad to hear that you had such a great time. It makes me feel much better about my upcoming cruise on 10/20/07.

 

Bearhug, I guess we will pass each other in the terminal! Save some fun for me! :D

 

Texalana :)

[Ashleezmom]

Thank you for the review!

[UpstateCruizer]

I'm glad you had a good time :) Your experience on the Triumph sounds alot like mine. When you went horseback riding were you sore the next day? I've never done it but it sounds like it might be alot of fun to try one day.